USAFA

     Well, we are now east of the Rockies.  After a nice visit With Tom and Carol Mackey and Kelli, we made the trek across the Rockies west to east on I-70.  Before we left, Kelli took a couple of departure shots.

     We have crossed the Rockies on I-70 before.  This time was a little different in that I manually downshifted so as to keep the RPMs above 2000 as we climbed.  It kept the coolant temperature from climbing.  The first high spot was Vail Pass at about 10,300 feet.  We stopped at a rest area there for lunch.  There is a lot of money in Vail.  There are handsome lodges and chalets clinging precariously from every ridge line and outcropping.  And, of course, the condos abound.
     Then we dropped down to 9000 feet before climbing again up to 11,156 feet at the Loveland Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel.  On the east side attentive driving was just as important.  The road is not straight as it winds down the mountain, so frequent down shifts were required.  We dropped a mile in elevation without using the brakes.  West of Denver we hit I-470 which looped around south of Denver until we hit I-25 south to USAFA.  As you can imagine, the mileage sucked.  But we arrived at our campsite before five.  There is no shortage of Ponderosa pines in the campground so, In order to access the satellite, I had to head the bus the wrong way into the site.  That put all the utilities on the wrong side, but is it all worth it if my bride has her Sports Channel.